Ha - not really - just guessing. A lot can be learned from intense observation of body language and how someone does what they do. I draw and have taught people to draw, I know how people hold their body when they draw or doodle, how they look when they are satisfied or not, with what they've done. I know how a stroke looks on a page and the tension it took to get it that way can be viewed decisively. There are fairly distinct queues one can pick up on, expression wise.

A look of satisfaction from implementation is different than a look of satisfaction with an implement itself. I look at hands a lot; appearance, care, movement; tension holding an admired object is different than tension holding a useful object. There are subtle tension differences between a working arm and hand when they are resting, tired, in pain, comfortable, etc.,. Body language is as much about touch and stillness as it is about movement.

I once had a friend who could practically spot-on psychoanalyze someone just by playing a game of one-on-one basket ball with them. It was kind of freaky but it was pretty much the same thing; just an intense observation of a specific language (body) one is very familiar with. It's probably not much different than critically analyzing a piece of writing or poetry; it's just a guess about the writers perspective, made more intimate by a mutually shared experience with a familiar language.

Oh well, I'm probably just talking out my ass.

A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels. ~ Albert Einstein

(06-05-2013 01:10 PM)kim Wrote: Ha - not really - just guessing. A lot can be learned from intense observation of body language and how someone does what they do. I draw and have taught people to draw, I know how people hold their body when they draw or doodle, how they look when they are satisfied or not, with what they've done. I know how a stroke looks on a page and the tension it took to get it that way can be viewed decisively. There are fairly distinct queues one can pick up on, expression wise.

A look of satisfaction from implementation is different than a look of satisfaction with an implement itself. I look at hands a lot; appearance, care, movement; tension holding an admired object is different than tension holding a useful object. There are subtle tension differences between a working arm and hand when they are resting, tired, in pain, comfortable, etc.,. Body language is as much about touch and stillness as it is about movement.

I once had a friend who could practically spot-on psychoanalyze someone just by playing a game of one-on-one basket ball with them. It was kind of freaky but it was pretty much the same thing; just an intense observation of a specific language (body) one is very familiar with. It's probably not much different than critically analyzing a piece of writing or poetry; it's just a guess about the writers perspective, made more intimate by a mutually shared experience with a familiar language.

Oh well, I'm probably just talking out my ass.

Well, I was just trying to be funny. With questionable success

And yeah, body language is a rather interesting subject. But it's also by no means a universal one. I mean, some things are, but I honestly don't think the same gesture means the same in everybody. Even something as simple as avoiding eye contact (or maintaining too much of it) can mean different things (even in the same person but in different situations).

One thing we should always keep handy are grains of salts. And not just for making margaritas

Of course, it's a totally different ball game when it comes to someone we actually know...